Overview
- Russian presidential decree published Monday transfers all Metro AG assets in Russia into temporary administration and assigns them to the domestic firm UK Torg RUS.
- Metro reported that Russia generated €2.14 billion in revenue in the first nine months of 2026, roughly 8.7 percent of group sales, and that the Russian unit held about €152 million in cash at June 30, 2026.
- Metro still operates about 91 outlets in Russia and says its local business is running normally and meeting customer obligations despite the transfer of control.
- The Kremlin has justified recent takeovers by citing hostile actions by so-called unfriendly states and alleged use of Western military aid by Kyiv to strike Russian economic infrastructure, a line repeated by Kremlin spokesmen.
- This action continues a recent pattern in which Moscow placed the Russian operations of Nestlé, Auchan, FM Logistic, Leroy Merlin and Aptar under state administration, raising questions about contracts, shareholder compensation and bilateral diplomatic fallout.